Sarin Gas: NOT A VIRUS

A-What Is Sarin Gas “C4H10FO2P” Also Known As GB:

Sarin originally was developed in 1938 in Germany as a pesticide by chemist Gerhard Schrader.
Sarin is a human-made chemical warfare agent classified as a nerve agent not found in nature.
Nerve agents are the most toxic and rapidly acting of the known chemical warfare agents.
On it’s pure form Sarin is a clear, colorless, tasteless and odorless liquid miscible (mixed with) in water.

B-How Sarin Gas Works:

All nerve agents cause prevent the proper operation of an enzyme that acts as the body’s “off switch” for glands and muscles. Without an “off switch,” the glands and muscles are constantly being stimulated. Exposed people may become tired and no longer be able to keep breathing.
As the most volatile of the nerve agents it can easily and quickly evaporate from a liquid into a vapor and spread into the environment thus presents an immediate but short-lived threat.

At high pH, Sarin decomposes rapidly to nontoxic phosphonic acid derivatives.
Easily broken by nucleophilic agents, such as water and hydroxide.

A lethal dose of sarin is about 0.5 milligrams; it is approximately 500 times more deadly than cyanide.

C-Poisoning and Symptoms:

People can be exposed to it through:
Skin contact, eye contact, breathing poisoned air, eating contaminated food, drinking contaminated water, or touching contaminated surfaces.

• Symptoms:

1. Runny nose, Watery eyes, Small pinpoint pupils
2. Eye pain, Blurred vision, Drooling and excessive sweating.
3. Cough, Chest tightnessm, Rapid breathing.
4. Diarrhea, Nausea, vomiting and/or abdominal pain.
5. Increased urination, Confusion, Drowsiness.
6. Weakness, Headache, Slow or fast heart rate.
7. Low or high blood pressure.
8. Loss of consciousness, Convulsions,Paralysis.
9. Respiratory failure possibly leading to death.

N.B: Showing these signs and symptoms does not necessarily mean that a person has been exposed to sarin. Mildly exposed people usually recover completely. Severely exposed people are less likely to survive.

D-Treatments:
To be effective, the antidotes available must be used quickly.
Moving to an area where fresh air is available is highly effective in reducing the possibility of death.
Remove clothing, rapidly wash the entire body with soap and water.

E-Half-Life Of Sarin Gas:

If stored dry, the half-life of Sarin is about 5 hrs.
In contact with moisture or basic solutions, the half-life breaks-down to minutes.

F-Used In Terrorism:

• Used in 1988 at the Kurdish city of Halabja in northern Iraq by Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi Air Force jets killing an estimated 5,000 people.
• Used in 1994 and 1995 with two terrorist attacks in Japan.
• Used in 2013 at Ghouta Syria killing more then 1400 citizen.
• Used in 2017 by the Syrian Air Force in rebel-held Idlib Province in Syria.